Carry this Picture for Luck
by Lyrical Rex
Summary: In which Sora takes pictures, Kairi smiles, Riku pines, Roxas doesn't know what he wants, and Axel aims to be the One. [RikuSora, AxelRoxas] [SoKai RiRo HayRo DemRo and more along the way] [college high school AU]
1. Kept in a locket, close to your chest

_Hello Kingdom Hearts Fandom. I've been kind of lurking you for a while, flirting with the possibility of joining you. But when you've got plot bunnies running around and shooting each other, it's kind of hard. But then this came along, and damn am I proud._

_So, this story is titled **Carry this Picture for Luck**, titled after the Dashboard Confessionals song. Each chapter of this story is based off a song or songs. Whoever guesses the core song gets pimped._

* * *

**Carry this Picture for Luck**

_Chapter the First_

* * *

Sora checked the focus of the lens before he snapped another picture. Riku struck a pose. 

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed. "You ruined the photo! I'm taking candid pictures. _Candid._"

"But Sora," Riku whined, "I like to pose." He arched his back, tossed his hair, and winked at the photographer.

Sora threw up his arms. "I give up! If you won't just sit still and study for me, I'm never getting this project done in time!"

"No wait," Riku protested suddenly as Sora stormed toward the apartment door. "I _can_ be serious about this Sora!" He hastily stood up, hitting his knee against his desk and knocking his psychology textbook to the floor. "Sora!"

"I'll be back later, camera whore." The door slammed shut.

_Camera whore_ was usually a term of endearment. But this time, Riku just felt bad.

--

Sora wandered the streets a while, camera in hand. He took pictures.

Here, a lamp post standing tall in the crowd of people around it. There, a floating page of newspaper dragging along, alone in the gutter.

Through the glass, a pretty red haired girl serving coffee in the coffeehouse.

Sora lowered his camera for a better look at her. She had a gorgeous smile.

--

"Welcome to Leon's Coffeehouse. How can I help you?" the redhead greeted. Her nametag read Kairi.

"Hi," Sora greeted softly. "Uhm, I'd like…" He scanned the wall menu quickly. "I'll get a hot chocolate." Because Sora hated coffee.

"Coming right up!" Kairi grinned. Sora's heart skipped a beat.

He slid over to the pickup counter and watched Kairi as she worked. "Whipped cream, sir?" He nodded mutely. She eventually began to blush, once she noticed that Sora's eyes followed her everywhere. "Here's your hot chocolate, sir."

"Sora," he blurted.

"My name's Sora. I'm going to uni right now, photography major, so we're around the same age—no need to call me _sir_. I—can I take your picture?" It was Sora's turn to turn red. His mouth had run off without him! And would Kairi think he was weird for asking to take pictures? Because that was creepy, and—

"Sure," Kairi replied unhesitatingly. "Uhm, what do want me to do? Should I pose or anything?"

"Just work. Pretend I'm not here." Kairi did as she was told, occasionally glancing at the camera but not stopping from taking orders or pouring coffee. Sora checked the focus of the lens before he snapped another picture.

--

Sora was busy developing pictures when Riku snuck into the dark room. "I thought you'd be here," the older boy said quietly. "Where were you last night? You didn't call."

"I was with Kairi," Sora told him. "I spent the night at her place, and look at all these pictures! They turned out really great."

Riku quietly looked at the pictures dripping with developer in the red light. There was a portrait of Kairi, reading glasses slipping down her nose as she read the morning paper. One of her curled up in bed, naked but for bed sheets. There was Kairi, putting on the necklace Riku had helped Sora pick out for the happy couple's sixth month anniversary. The charm was a heart shaped locket, intricately detailed silver patterns. "You're really happy, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah." Sora smiled fondly at the next one as he held it up with his tongs. Kairi brushing away fringe from her eyes and smiling as she greeted a customer. "Yeah, I'm really happy."

"Then I'm happy too."

Sora didn't turn around until he'd hung the photo up to dry. When he did, Riku was gone.

--

"It's true," Roxas admitted when Sora passed on what Riku said. "You were in a dark place, so mopey all the time since what's-her-face dumped you. You took up photography like it was your _life_, spent hours everyday at the lab at the uni. We were all worried about you, especially Riku. I mean, you guys do share that student apartment."

"What are you trying to say?" Sora furrowed his brows. "That we were _together_ or some weird shit like that? Just because you and _Hayner_ are doesn't mean—"

"Not what I meant at all!" Roxas protested. "You guys are _best friends_, you know? And I know, you've got a few best friends, but you're the only one Riku's got, and that means double to him. You don't even want to know how he got after you stopped taking pictures of him and started taking pictures of Kairi instead."

Sora looked away guiltily. It was true, he knew, that he meant much more to Riku than the other way around, and Riku had been oddly jealous of all the time he spent with Kairi when they first met. He was guilty of not balancing his time between his best friend and his girlfriend very well. He spent almost all his time with Kairi, and even now he rarely saw Riku unless the other sought him out, like he had in the photo lab that morning.

"Do you love her?" Roxas asked abruptly.

Sora's eyes widened at the sudden question, and he found himself unable to say _yes_.

Roxas smiled grimly.

--

"I love you," Sora told her, kissing her cheek. Kairi giggled.

"I know," she replied, her hand on his, his arm wrapped around her waist. On Saturday nights, they walked slowly to her car, his car, or Roxas' car if neither were in working order. "Did you like the movie?"

"It was cute," Sora admitted, "Though chick flicks aren't really my thing."

"You put up with them for me though," Kairi laughed. She kissed the tip of Sora's nose then his lips. "I love you too."

"My place or yours?" Sora murmured into her lips.

"Yours; Selphie's throwing a party tonight, and I don't want to deal with the headache right now." Her hands wandered.

--

On mornings after, Kairi always got out of bed earlier than her boyfriend. Sora sometimes woke up earlier, but when he did, he just grabbed the camera from the nightstand and snapped photos of her sleeping. It was cute of him.

Riku was in the kitchen, making eggs and toast. He glanced at the redhead, took in Sora's blue plaid boxers and her pink camisole before he returned to his breakfast foods. "You should be careful of what you wear around other guys," Riku announced wearily. "Aren't you embarrassed at all?"

"No," Kairi replied flippantly. "I know you're not mentally undressing what little clothing I have on."

Riku froze for so long, Kairi had to step in to keep the eggs from burning.

"Riku, doll, it's not that hard to guess that you're gay," she told him sympathetically. "And it does help that I have friends like Axel."

Riku groaned and slouched into a chair, dropping his head onto the table. Axel Kaze had picked up Riku at a disreputable night club a month before; Riku didn't know they knew anyone in common. "Told Sora, didn't you?"

"Of course not." Kairi huffed as she set his plate down in front of him. "You're his best friend. You have to tell him yourself."

"I don't think I can," Riku almost whispered. "I can't."

"Why not?" she asked softly.

"Because I don't want him to hate me. I can't have him hate me. I love him too much." Riku's eyes watered and he looked away embarrassed when Kairi gave a small gasp in shock. "I don't know why I'm telling you, his girlfriend. I mean, he loves _you_ the way he'll never love me. I'm so jealous of you, Kairi."

"Oh Riku, I'm so sorry, I didn't know… If I knew…"

"You wouldn't have started dating him? Please." Riku frowned, and pushed his plate towards her. "He told me it was love at first sight. If you turned him down, I would have strangled you in your sleep. He's happy and in love, that's all that matters."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, pained. "You don't really." Riku didn't answer her. His lack of response hurt more.

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	2. Make it a secret, but to closest friends

_Hello again. If you're here on the second chapter, I love you. So please review and tell me if you like me back?_

_So, uhm, I don't really have preferences towards pairings, but I mostly stick to what's popular (though I have a soft spot for less common pairings.) For example, I don't particularly prefer Sora and Kairi and Riku together in any combination, but they're the main characters in the games, so RikuSora is and SoraKairi are givens if I wander the fandom. As a yaoi fan, I prefer the former slightly more, but I don't mind that Kairi's with Sora in many stories. For those that are reading this story and _do_ mind, just please hang on a little while longer._

_Oh, and there are a lot of references made to various boyfriends and girlfriends, but please don't think I'm writing theme as sluts; I left a lot of time gaps and take into account that a lot of people have multiple boyfriends/girlfriends during their lives. It might be obvious that I don't believe in "The One"._

* * *

**_Carry this Picture for Luck_**

_Chapter the Second_

* * *

After their _talk_, Riku felt a lot better about Kairi. He made an effort to be friendly, and she proved to be a great friend to hang around. When Sora pulled late nights in the photo lab on a last minute project, Riku and Kairi hung out at Sora and Riku's apartment waiting for him. 

"So," Kairi started, settling down onto the couch next to Riku with a tub of popcorn. "How'd you and Sora meet?"

"It was a dark and stormy night," Riku began in an eerie voice. Kairi laughed and threw popcorn in his face. "Stop laughing! I'm telling a story!" A light romance movie played on the TV screen. Kairi turned down the volume.

--

--

"Riku," his lab partner told him over their lab materials. "The photo club's having an exhibition."

The silver haired boy glanced up at Roxas. "Yeah? I don't care."

Roxas' cheeks puffed indignantly. "My brother has a few pictures. You should come."

"I don't know." Riku glanced outside at the pouring rain skeptically before returning to the Bunsen burner. "I doubt it's going to let up; I don't want to get wet."

Roxas slammed the crucible onto the table, attracting attention from their classmates as he quickly jotted down their data and quickly cleaned up.

After class, Riku chased down the blond. "What was that about?" he asked loudly. "I still need the lab data!"

"I asked you out on a date," Roxas spat, turning around. "You've been eying me like candy all semester long, then I finally get the nerve to ask you out and you… Argh! You're either sending really _messed up_ signals or just really _really_ confused." He turned his heel and pushed pass students sloshing around in the open air halls, huddled up to keep warm, though the rain had already soaked his jacket. Riku stood stock still, umbrella in hand but no lab data to speak of.

--

The rain had not let up by that evening. Riku prowled the neighborhood streets in his Nissan, squinting to make out the numbers painted on the sidewalk. Where was Roxas' house?

He'd called Roxas earlier to apologize, but the boy who answered told him that Roxas refused to come to the phone, although he gave Riku the street address to the Hikari's house. Riku had hung up without a thank you.

He finally found it, the red brick house near the end of the street. He parked in front of the house and got out, running quickly under the overhang. He knocked loudly. "Roxas! Roxas Hikari! I know you're home!" He knocked again.

The boy who answered the door wasn't Roxas. Sure, he had the same eyes, the same mouth, the same face shape, but unless Roxas took to straightening and dying his hair chocolate brown (which Riku decided that the blond should _not_ do), this was a different person altogether.

"You're the one from the phone, aren't you?" the teen deadpanned. "You hung up."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Riku muttered, not sorry at all. "Can I see Roxas?"

"He doesn't want to see you." The brunet leaned against the doorway, expression disdainful. "And I'm not sure I want to let you in."

"I just—goddammit, Roxas! I'm going to fail without you!" Riku yelled into the house.

"No you won't!" a muffled voice came back. "You've got an A!"

"Well then, I want you!" Roxas' brother raised a quizzical eyebrow. "That came out really wrong, didn't it?" Roxas' brother nodded, trying not to laugh.

"You're soaked," the brunet piped up. "Do you wanna come in? I can get you some of Roxas' shirts." He waggled an eyebrow.

"It's not like that," Riku blushed. "Thanks."

"I'm Sora," the brother introduced, leading Riku into the house. "Roxas' twin."

"The one who takes pictures?" Riku took note of the photographs lining the walls. The more recent photos featured all different people, but none of Sora. He stopped walking, mouth open. "I like this one," he pointed.

Roxas, laughing beautifully in the midst of snow, black clad, black gloved arms pulling him back into an embrace. Riku was oddly jealous of those arms.

"Big Bear, last winter," Sora was telling him. "That's Axel, Roxas' best friend back there. We go back to visit every winter, even though we moved out to this desert back in the third grade. I really like that picture too; it shows _looove_."

"Shut up," Roxas muttered shuffling into the room. Riku thought he looked cute with his eyes pink around the rims and bed head. He pushed a composition notebook at Riku. "Make sure I get it back by class tomorrow." He frowned as Riku stared, trying to imagine Roxas smiling like that, laughing like that, at and with _him._ The blond glanced at the picture on the table, then pushed it face down before he shuffled away again.

"But Roxas," Sora whined. "I promised Riku a pair of your panties!"

"Do whatever you want," Roxas told him wearily. "Just don't come into my room." He slammed the door behind him.

"Panties?" Riku voiced after a moment's silence.

"Never mind. If you take off your wet clothes, I'll go get a sweatshirt for you." Sora dashed off. When he came back, Riku was stripped of his jacket and t-shirt. When Riku put on the sweatshirt (a red and white Big Bear souvenir), it hung on his lanky form with room to spare. "Sorry, grabbed the first one I thought would fit you; I'm not a good judge in size. Roxas wears that when it's cold. It's really warm."

It was, Riku thought amazedly. And it smelled like Roxas, which was something of a bonus. "Thanks," he said quietly. "I should go."

"Stay!" Sora blurted. "Have a cup of cocoa or something. It's still raining cats out there, and that would totally defeat the purpose of me letting you borrow a sweatshirt." Riku raised an eyebrow. "I also think you'd look good in a picture," Sora admitted. "You wouldn't mind being a model, would you?"

--

Every Saturday was Movie Night. This time around though, it was only Riku and Roxas at the Hikari house; everyone else was at the Twilight High versus Traverse High game, and Riku was beginning to wish he'd gone.

He had been expecting to have a nice make out session with his boyfriend, maybe reach second base, but Roxas sat rigidly on the couch, shrugging off Riku's arm when he wrapped around his shoulders and turning his face away when Riku's neared for a kiss.

"Roxas, what's wrong?" Riku was frustrated, and he sure as hell wanted to show it. "Babe, if you've got a problem with me, just say it! I can't spend all night just _sitting_ here, doing nothing. At least talk to me."

Roxas stayed sullen. After a moment, he finally spoke, "So. You and Sora, huh?"

"Me and Sora?" Riku was taken aback. "Rox, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," Roxas growled. "It's kind of noticeable that you're Sora's favorite model, and there's something a little wrong if you spend more time with your boyfriend's brother than your boyfriend himself!"

"So you're saying Sora's cheating on Olette with me. That I'm cheating on you with Sora."

"Maybe," Roxas replied stonily. "It really would explain why you're so desperate to keep our _relationship_ hidden from everyone. From him."

"Like you're one to talk!" Riku exclaimed. He was enraged at the distrust Roxas displayed in his character. "Last week at Cid's, when we went to see the Nobodies play? You and Demyx were practically fucking each other with your eyes! He could barely keep it down—"

"Don't talk about Demyx like that!" By now neither of them was sitting on the couch; both were standing and glaring like their very lives depended on it.

"Get out," he growled at the same time Riku announced, "I'm leaving."

Riku stripped off the baggy sweatshirt and threw it in Roxas' face, and Roxas demonstratively threw Riku's photo in the trash. "Sora's not going to like that," Riku mentioned as he passed the blond on the way out. "It was the only good picture of you he's ever taken." The picture frame shattered against the front door as he slammed it shut behind him.

--

"Sorry," Riku muttered on Monday when Chemistry class began. "I was out of line."

Roxas huffed. "As far as I'm concerned, the last month isn't a chapter of my life."

"Oh." Inexplicably, it hurt Riku to hear this. "So, we're okay then?" He didn't want to be _okay_. He wanted to be _fine,_ to be _normal_. Normal included Roxas in his lap.

"Sure," Roxas told him, not sounding like he meant it. "It's just… I was expecting it to last longer, you know? Proportional to the length of sexual tension before hand, at least."

"We could maybe, make it last that long," Riku suggested.

Roxas stiffened. "It hurts, but I'm not crawling back to you. It might take some time, but I'll get over it." He raised his hand and asked the teacher if he could switch seats; he wasn't getting along well with Riku.

--

Sora was animatedly telling Riku about his day as he snapped pictures of the scenery, of the other teen, of the sky. "What's up with you and Roxas?" he asked at length. The camera sat in it's bag on the ground, to the side. "You both have been so mopey lately."

"I'm not mopey," Riku told him, tearing a bite from his sandwich. They sat on the steps to the school library, from there watching their fellow students in and around the quad. Sora refocused his camera.

"What do you call that expression then?" Sora snapped another shot.

"You're taking pictures obsessively," Riku noted. "Is everything fine?"

"Of course everything's fine!" Sora huffed. He turned off the camera and put it away. "See? I'm not taking pictures obsessively. I'll tell you what's wrong with me if you tell me what's wrong with you," he goaded.

"We had a fight," Riku admitted. "He doesn't want to see my face ever again."

"Are you sure?" Sora prodded Riku's arm until Riku looked up and smiled shallowly. "He gets moody sometimes. He doesn't let on, but he's really insecure. If you really want to get close to him, it takes an inordinate amount of one on one time."

Riku chewed silently and shook his head. Sora traced his glare to the table across the quad, where Roxas was sitting close to his blond friend Demyx, knees knocking and the taller blond ruffling Roxas' hair.

"Is it because Roxas is gay?" Sora asked anxiously. Riku snapped to attention. "I know it's weird, but don't hate him just for that, okay? It's part of him; he can't help it."

"It's not that," Riku said carefully. "I just was, I don't know, expecting that, well, he was my best friend for a while there, short while, but then there's…" He waved his hand indefinitely in the direction of Demyx, who was a leaning too close to Roxas. "He's got Demyx for that."

--

It was during a normal conversation, on a normal day, Roxas and Riku having coffee and looking at each other while Sora took pictures from the sidelines. "Roxas, don't frown. You're supposed to be a couple on a coffee date, looking at each other with love and easy companionship, having a private conversation. I know you can do that; you pulled it off last time perfectly!"

Roxas rolled his eyes, before leaning forward and putting on a small grin. "Dense, isn't he?"

"Incredibly," Riku replied, propping his elbows on the table and looking into Roxas' blue eyes. His heart didn't beat harder, but he wanted it to. "I take it you never told him? I thought you two were twins and shared everything with each other."

Roxas waved it off. "Just because we're twins doesn't mean we share _everything._ I mean, if Sora wanted Demyx… ew."

Riku gave a hollow laugh. He still didn't quite like that blond, and he had to agree that Sora with Demyx didn't sit right at all.

"Now Riku, smile," Sora instructed, having missed the entire soft spoken conversation. "You know you're gorgeous. Flaunt it."

They didn't realize how wrapped up they were in their mini photo shoot until Demyx appeared from nowhere, in Roxas' lap and giving him a happy lick from the jaw up the cheek. Rubbing his nose against Roxas' skin, Demyx happily cooed, "Roxy isn't cheating on me, is he? Because Riku's a lamer, and I'm much better than him!" It sounded like a joke, but the hard look the blond gave Riku told him it wasn't.

Oddly enough, it didn't intimidate him, because the hurt had faded a long time ago.

--

Demyx's graduation party was supposed to be the party to end all parties. It _did_ fit the bill. Obnoxious live music, house crowded with obnoxious teenagers. He might actually miss this, when he and the Hikari twins jetted off for Hallow Bastion University in the fall. He doubted it.

Riku made his way to the couch Sora was standing on to get a better view of the Nobodies onstage, playing with the digital camera he'd gotten for his graduation present. Sora had confided to Riku that he preferred film; developing was a fun process, and it seemed much more personal to him. Riku nearly spilled the third cup of punch he'd gotten for Sora when a giggling couple bumped into him, causing him to roll his eyes. He sidled up to Sora as the brunet took a break from photography to check the pictures that he'd been taking.

"What's the word with that girl from Traverse?" Riku asked casually as he handed Sora his punch. The girl had been a blonde, thin thing Sora met at the inter-district art show. Sora had been on rebound after Olette left him for Pence, and her art was amazing. There was some helpless attraction Riku couldn't understand, because he'd met her a couple times, and the girl seemed so _boring_. That didn't stop Sora from having his first, longer-than-a-month, love-love-_love _relationship with her.

"Naminé," Sora corrected, stubbornly climbing the couch to get a better vantage point for the band. Riku sipped a beer beside him, hand by Sora's elbow in case the shorter boy fell. "And… It's been over. For a week." Sora snapped another picture.

"Come on," Riku tugged Sora down. "You're wasting film. Er, drivespace." The brunet stumbled and landed in Riku's arms. He mussed Sora's hair and set him up straight before leading him out, via Demyx's bedroom window on the second floor, to the roof where the loud rock music was muffled through distance and walls. "Do you want to talk it out?"

"I'm not a girl," Sora snapped, jerkily reaching for Riku's beer. His voice was laced with tears; he tried to drown it with the alcohol. "It's not that I _love_ her," he abruptly confessed. "I did, but I don't. I just—" he swallowed the rest. "I need more to drink."

Riku stopped him from getting up. "I'll get it," he told him. Sora was already drunk. Stupid spiked punch. "I won't be too long." He made a move to leave, but Sora's weight leaning on him made him stop.

Sora was passed out, hand still clutching Riku's sweatshirt, snorting occasionally in his sleep. Riku wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder, lying back on the roof tiles and gazing up at the stars, holding Sora close. The kid was cute when he was sleeping. With his eyes closed, that ridiculous mop of hair, and his face all soft and blissful, Sora didn't look like Roxas at all.

And somewhere along the lines, Riku had fallen in love with him.

--

--

The lights were on when Sora came home. The title menu on the television screen played for what was probably the eightieth time. Kairi and Riku were asleep on the couch, the girl leaning on Riku's shoulder, Riku's cheek resting on the top of her head. Both smiled slightly in their sleep.

If he hadn't seen this scene before, Sora might have been jealous. The first time he found Kairi and Riku sleeping in front of the TV he sure as hell was. But he knew that Kairi would _never ever_ cheat, and Riku would _never ever_ hurt him. So instead, he pulled out his camera and focused on the sweet image of two very special people, innocently asleep.

The flash woke Kairi up. Riku groaned and shifted in his sleep, head tilting back awkwardly. Kairi moaned groggily and swatted in Sora's direction. "Do you _have_ to do that every time?" she mumbled, even through a smile. Sora leaned in and kissed her on the nose.

"It's a good way to get you up to go to bed," Sora informed her. Kairi giggled and kissed him back before wrapping her arms around his neck. Sora scooped her in his arms, bridal style. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He waltzed away with her in his arms.

When the bedroom door closed behind them, Riku opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing a crick in his neck as he frowned deeply. He turned off the television and sat on the couch, drumming his fingers against his knees restlessly. It was quiet. He wouldn't be able to sleep.

Riku grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch and proceeded out the door to go to Seventh Heaven, a club not too far away. He had been spending time there more and more often, drawn to the loud, pulsating music where he could be an anonymous university student, drowning his sorrows at the bar. Anywhere was better than this quiet apartment. When it was quiet, he could hear his heart breaking.

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	3. Follow me down the edge of the water

_Hi again. Uhm, review please? _ _I ever do love a good review. I _know _if you're watching me without reviewing you know, and it's quite disconcerting, especially since this story has so few reviews. Yeah, thanks. Thank you to those who do review too.  
_

_So now, some semblance of a plot begins. Yay._

* * *

_**Carry this Picture for Luck**_

_Chapter the Third_

* * *

Sora's engagement party was a sordid affair for Roxas.

For one thing, Hayner was out of commission due to a slug to the head from Seifer during a fist fight. Never mind the fact that they were juniors in college and were too old for such antics; Hayner _knew_ about the engagement party. He probably got a concussion on purpose just to avoid it; he seemed always able to brave frat parties after a fight, but tonight he just was dizzy all over. Couldn't even go to his boyfriend's brother's engagement party, even if begged, not that Roxas did _that_.

Also, Axel Kaze called, again, to profess his undying love, _again_. It's not that Roxas didn't like the red head. It's just that Roxas was attached and very much in love, thankyouverymuch, and didn't have much use for old flames that couldn't let go.

Like Riku.

Like Riku, who pulled him aside before the couple's toast to say, "I love you," and try to kiss him right there, in the corridor between the restaurant and the restrooms, pressed against the wall beside the payphone stall.

"No you don't," Roxas scowled, pushing Riku away. Roxas struggled to fix his tie and ignore the butterflies rampart in his stomach. "You love Sora."

"No, I love _you_," Riku insisted, touching Roxas' face. Roxas pushed him away violently.

"Then you're too late! You already got you chance, and I've already got Hayner. So you just back off. You and Axel both, or I swear I'll—I don't know, but I think I could strangle you." Roxas straightened his jacket and pushed past Riku, returning to the table and taking his place next to Sora.

"You okay?" his twin asked softly.

"I'm fine," Roxas told him as lightly as he could.

"Riku hasn't been an asshole, has he?" Sora cast a narrowed glance at the bathrooms where Riku had pulled Roxas minutes before.

"No," Roxas sighed. "Sora, please. Forget about it. This is supposed to be your night."

Sora gave him a worried look and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "You know, if there's anything you need—"

"Sora!" The brunet shrunk back at Roxas' harsh whisper. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me, just make a toast." Sora's hand remained for a moment, before he stood and made a toast, Kairi next to him. After the toast, there were handshakes and backslaps and hugs all around. During the commotion, Roxas slipped off to the bar where he ordered a whiskey and stewed.

He was on his third glass when Riku, already tipsy on too much wine, took the barstool next to him. Roxas groaned and tried to ignore him. Riku just wouldn't go _away_, not for the last four years, maybe not forever.

--

Roxas woke up with a headache. He burrowed his head back into the pillow and groaned. He took a breath of the husky scent of cologne that Hayner didn't wear. Hayner smelt more like sandalwood and—_shit. _Roxas bolted upright and looked around wildly at the unfamiliar settings. He was naked, in a stranger's bed with a hangover, and was that his picture on the desk there?

"Riku!" Sora's voice echoed after the slamming of the apartment door. It was then Roxas noticed his bed partner fast asleep beside him, hair spread out like a silver halo. Roxas stared. "Hey, so I wanted to talk to you about—" Roxas jumped out of the bed, but couldn't find a place to hide before Sora barged into his roommate's room. The brothers stood stalk still, staring at each other for three breaths.

"Hi Sora," Roxas greeted weakly, blushing to the tips of his ears.

"Hey," Sora gulped, expression similar. "I'll just… let you get dressed, huh? And let Riku, uh," here Sora glanced at his sleeping best friend for the first time, "wake up and we could have a, uhm, talk. Yeah." Sora paused. "I'll just be in the kitchen." And he stumbled out the door.

Roxas groaned. What was _wrong_ with him?

--

"Please don't tell Hayner. Or Kairi, or anyone else for that matter." Sora shook his head mutely in acquiescence. "Don't get mad at Riku either, please." Sora just shook his head again. "We didn't mean to. We stayed a while, after the party, at the bar. I think we had too much to drink." Sora let out a long breath, like he had been holding it the whole time.

"You _think?_ Roxas, this isn't like you. Getting drunk at a bar and sleeping with someone isn't something you usually do! There's something wrong, isn't there? You can tell me, you know. I'm your brother. I'm your best friend." Sora grabbed Roxas' hand tightly and looked his twin in the eye. "You can tell me."

"There's—there's nothing wrong," Roxas sputtered, looking away. He eyed the photographs pinned to the refrigerator.

"Then maybe you can tell me about Riku?" Sora persuaded. He released Roxas' hand and pushed back his chair. "I mean, I didn't know he was gay, all this time. Four years! It explains a lot, but why didn't he tell me?"

Roxas shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know."

"But you knew, didn't you?" Suddenly Sora was indignant, glaring at his blond twin as he leaned on his elbows over the kitchen table. "You knew! You're gay, you had a crush on him, you must have _known_ he's gay. You two have probably been sleeping with each other for years and—"

"Shut up Sora! I'm not _that _much of a slut!" Roxas exclaimed. "I was with Riku for a month back in _high school_. A month! And so I've had a few boyfriends since, but I've never, _ever_ cheated on anyone. _Ever._"

Sora was embarrassed for his outburst, and stirred his tea quietly. "But you did know then," he stated. "And you didn't tell me. I thought you told me _everything_."

"It wasn't my place to say anything," Roxas told Sora guiltily. "Riku thought he'd lose you as a friend."

"But you're gay," Sora pointed out, "And I didn't shun you."

Roxas smiled grimly when he stood up, patted his brother's head on his way out the door. "Think about it."

"Oh," Sora said as Roxas closed the door. "_Shit_."

--

Three of the messages on his cell phone were from a worried Hayner, demanding to know where he'd been all night. Five of them were from Axel.

He returned Hayner's call first. Yeah, he was okay, just got smashed at the party and decided to crash at Sora's place. Of course he'd be coming home, what kind of silly question was that?

Axel, though… Roxas stared at the phone, flipped it open and started pressing _5_. He flipped it closed, glared, flipped it open. Paused.

"Indecisive, are we?" Roxas whipped his head around to see the one person on campus he _least _wanted to see, including Riku. Axel Kaze raised a hand in greeting, slouching in his long jacket. "Thinking about calling your boyfriend to tell him you're breaking up with him and running away with your best _best_ friend-slash-childhood sweetheart?"

"Get out of my face, freak." Roxas stepped into the gutter to avoid pushing past him.

"Roxas! I just found out that _Sora_ and _Kairi_ got engaged. Two really good friends of mine just got engaged, and I didn't get invited to their engagement party. Do you know why?" Roxas walked stonily past, jumped onto the sidewalk and continued to walk. "Because _you_ asked them not to. Roxas, what do I have to do?"

"Nothing!" Roxas hollered, not turning around. "Just do nothing!"

--

"Hey," Roxas greeted Hayner with a peck on the lips. "I brought home some ice cream. Thought it'd help your concussion and my hangover." He tried to grin.

"Kaze called last night," Hayner informed him grumpily. "Woke me up at two in the morning, looking for you. Said something about concert tickets. I told him to fuck off."

"Did you tell him about Sora's engagement?" Roxas asked as he unloaded the plastic bags from the convenience store. Hayner made no move to help him.

"Might've. Dead tired, I was." He accepted a sea salt ice cream from Roxas and scooted over so that Roxas could lounge on the couch with him. The television was on. Saturday morning cartoons.

"Hayner?" Roxas asked. He had to get this nagging feeling off of his chest, away from the back of his mind.

"Hm?"

"Do you love me?" He held his breath.

"Of course."

Roxas let it loose, until he realized…

…the feeling had only intensified.

--

Roxas saw Axel studying at a table on the patio outside Leon's Coffeehouse. He hesitated, took a step towards, took two steps back. He paused and bit his lip—why was this so hard?—before turning around. "Yo!" Roxas stopped and turned back. Was it a good thing Axel spotted him before he walked away?

He paused before walking determinedly and dropping into the seat across from the redhead. "What do you want?" Roxas demanded to know, without greeting, without preamble.

"You," Axel replied easily, leaning forward.

Roxas sighed, roughly shoving a hand into his messy, wild spikes. "Why do you have to ask for so goddamned much?"

"It's only fair," Axel informed him. "I scrambled for every odd job, any legal means of making money, so I could come out here and go to Hallow Bastion University with _you._"

"I didn't make you do that," Roxas frowned. "I didn't make you do anything, so don't make it all my fault."

"Yes it is," Axel told him. "You made me love you. Got it memorized?"

"I never asked you to." Metal screeched on concrete as Roxas pushed his chair back. The most disgusting sound in the world.

--

"Hayner, what do you love about me?"

Pause.

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Your eyes are blue, your smile's gorgeous, your tactlessness is adorable, and you're everything I could want in a man."

"Hayner?"

Kiss.

"I love you."

--

Roxas' phone rang in the middle of the night. It was Axel.

"The hell do you want?" Roxas growled into the phone, rolling into a more comfortable position, so that Hayner wasn't nearly pushing him off the bed.

"So you won't cheat with me, but you'll cheat with Riku?" Axel asked, bemused. Roxas shot out of bed and padded out to the living room, making sure Hayner was still sleeping. Hayner could sleep through almost anything. "I'm a little hurt. I've known you much, much longer. And I _love_ you Roxy! You can't cheat with someone who doesn't love you. That's unethical."

"Who told you?" Roxas hissed. It couldn't have been Sora; he _promised. _

"Boy toy came over to the dorms," Axel informed him, suddenly serious. "Crying his eyes out, says _Sora_ caught you two in bed. He's sleeping on my bed right now."

"What happened?" asked Roxas, alarmed. "How do you know Riku?"

"Riku wouldn't say anything except that Sora _knows_ something, that Sora hates him now." Axel ignored the latter question.

"Shit. I'll be right over; I'll call you back after I'm dressed for directions."

"Sounds great. Love ya." Roxas was about to hang up, but he stopped. Axel was still breathing on the line. "Rox, aren't you going to get dressed?"

"Why do you love me?"

"You're Roxas; why wouldn't I love you?" That was enough to ease the ache in his heart, just the tiniest bit. "Are you coming now or what?"

"Yeah, I'll call you back," Roxas softly told him. He flipped his phone shut.

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	4. We'll spill our guts and name our fears

_Hello, again. If you've made it this far, I love you for life. _ c.h.i.c.a.g.o. x pillows_ doesn't have any stories, else I'd pimp her for being such a great reviewer._

_So, this is flashback. Yep. About time Axel got his spotlight, yeah? Eek, not so happy with the chapter itself though._

* * *

**Carry this Picture for Luck**

_Chapter the Fourth_**  
**

* * *

After Roxas and Sora's parents split, the twins moved with their mom down to Orange County. They never called or wrote, but Axel didn't worry about it. They always came back. 

Every winter they came to spend time with their dad and to snowboard. Mr. Hikari was a nice guy, but his ex-wife had complained him too boring, too _safe_, whatever that meant. In the end it had been a mutual agreement that they'd be better off without each other, and the twins were all the better off for it. They loved where they lived; they loved the beaches and the boardwalk and the sociality of it all; in Big Bear, there was only Axel and Marluxia and Larxene.

Sora came with pictures of the beach and the sunsets and the busy boardwalk lives. His favorite model was Roxas, Roxas surfing, Roxas skating, Roxas flipping the bird at the camera with a sour expression on his face. Axel particularly liked the last one; Roxas looked really _cute_ when he was angry.

In a small mountain town like theirs, Axel was always _bored_. He either studied his home schooling material or hung out with Marluxia and Larxene or spent hours studying the finer points of Sora's photographs. He eventually realized that it wasn't Sora's photography he was looking at (the pictures of the sunset and random strangers never appealed to him,) but Roxas. It was Roxas, Roxas, _Roxas_, no one else. There'd never _be_ anyone else but Roxas.

He didn't know why; as far as he knew, he wasn't attracted to anyone else. Roxas was just a friend he saw once a year, but when Roxas came, they didn't even have to talk. They were just that comfortable with each other. When he was with Roxas, he couldn't even remember the other three hundred and fifty days of the year that Roxas _wasn't_ there. Roxas was surly and quiet and thought too much, but Axel knew he was the _one_ for him.

No one but Roxas.

The year he figured it out, the twins came back, Sora waving pictures of a light haired kid. Riku, Sora told them, was his new best friend. There were a lot of pictures of Riku, and some of Riku and Roxas doing everything from walking hand in hand looking away from each other and the camera, to sharing ice cream and smiles. "Riku likes posing," Sora told Axel and the others. "He somehow convinced Roxas to play along. I don't even know _who_ suggested the whole couples theme, but it was fun."

Axel felt a stab in his gut, and he could tell Sora was completely oblivious to what these pictures _meant_. In one picture, Riku grinned saucily at the camera, and a later picture from the same set showed Roxas holding the other boy's gaze. It wasn't just _posing_.

Axel glanced at the blond, who stood a ways off, more sour than usual.

"What," Axel asked Sora later, when no one else was there, "Is up with Roxas' attitude towards this Riku?"

Sora frowned, and looked to make sure Roxas couldn't hear them, even if he was in the bathroom. "Roxas had a crush on Riku. A big one. I think he even told him, but Riku turned him down."

"Then why do you still talk about him so much? Don't you think about hurting Roxas' feelings?" Axel wanted to know.

"Roxas has a boyfriend now," Sora explained. "And Roxas knows that Riku's one of my best friends. He's not bothered about it, really."

Axel's stomach hurt, like he was going to bleed out through it.

--

"Are you going to college?" Axel asked Roxas on the ski lift.

"I got accepted to Hallow Bastion University," Roxas told him, fixing the gloves on his hands. "Sora and Riku too."

"Is it close to where you live?" Axel wanted to know.

"Kind of," Roxas shrugged. "Far enough away we can't live at home, close enough to visit Mom every weekend. Dad's moving in with her. They want another shot at making it work." Roxas snorted as they approached the top of the expert slope and got off. "After eight years? Freaking insanity, man." He attached his other foot to his snowboard and slid down a few feet in front of Axel as he did the same.

"So… you're not coming back here?" Axel's insides couldn't take it. "Ever?"

"Maybe for the slopes, but I'm going to be busy with studies and the like." Roxas adjusted the goggles on his face. "Come on Axel," he challenged, starting down the slope. "First one to the bottom treats to coffee."

--

For Christmas last year, he'd given Roxas one of his favorite sweatshirts, a large red one with Big Bear printed across the front. He was glad to see Roxas wearing it this year. "Roxy," he smirked, drawing his words out. "I like how that looks on you." Roxas blushed and threw a marshmallow at Axel.

Axel preferred spending holidays with the Hikari's. He was raised single handedly by his half-drunk father, unless one counted Reno, who'd left as soon as he turned eighteen. Axel would have left last month for the same reasons, except that he wanted to see Roxas again. It was Christmas Eve tradition to roast marshmallows and sing carols into the night. Axel thought of everything but that this would be their last Christmas Eve like this.

Roxas leaned on the railing of the patio, looking out to the stars. "We're going home in the morning," Roxas told Axel when the redhead came outside, seeking his friend. "We're leaving around ten, I think. Just so you know."

"You miss your boyfriend, huh?" Axel prodded.

Roxas barely flinched and nodded. "We made plans for New Years, so…"

"Can't you leave tomorrow?" asked Axel. "When it's not Christmas Day?"

"There's things we need to do," Roxas told him. "Well, things_ I_ have to do. I'll see you next year, though, right?"

"I'm moving out," Axel informed him. "After the new year, I'm going to LA with my brother. You know, Reno?"

"So I guess this is goodbye." Roxas sighed, breath frosting in the cold air. He turned to go back inside, only to be stopped by Axel. "Axel, what are you-?"

"Sh. Look up." Roxas did, and dangling above him, past Axel's head, was a sprig of green leaves. The mistletoe hung from the overhang, swinging in the wind. Before he could say a word, the redhead bent down to plant a kiss on Roxas' lips.

Roxas froze at first, but Axel's lips were slow and steady in moving against his, as the taller boy pressed his body closer. Axel's hands touched his arms and slid up to cup his face. Their lips weren't so mashed together that Roxas couldn't get air, but the kiss was stealing his breath anyway. Roxas kissed him back.

When they finally broke apart, Roxas' eyes were shining as Axel searched them. "I like you," Axel breathed. "No, I freaking _love_ you. Got it memorized?"

Roxas mutely pushed him back, before struggling to speak. "You—I—_can't_—" he choked. He brushed past Axel swiftly, bidding Sora and his father a goodnight, heading straight for his bedroom. Axel sighed.

"There is definitely no one else for me."

--

--

Axel met Sora again first, when he started writing for Hollow Bastion University's campus newsletter. He was a year behind Sora, having taken a year after getting his high school diploma to raise money for college. Sora took pictures for the newsletter, and seemed pleased enough to see him. "Hey Axel," Sora let him know energetically, "I'll show you around after class." Sora grinned and snapped a shot of Axel. "It's so great to see you. I'm sure Roxas can't wait."

"How about," suggested Axel, "You give me Roxy's phone number? Is he staying in the dorms?"

"Naw, he's living in a student apartment over down…" Sora waved his hand vaguely in one direction, but it didn't really help, seeing as they were inside a room. "But yeah sure. Here…"

So, while walking to his car, Axel called the number Sora gave him.

"Hello?" someone asked groggily. Axel checked his watch; it was ten in the morning, and Roxas still wasn't up?"

"Hey Roxy-bear," Axel purred into the phone.

"What the—who the hell is this?"

"Who are you?" Axel demanded back.

"I'm Roxas' boyfriend. Now tell me who the fuck _you_ are." Roxas had a boyfriend? Well shit, that put a damper on his plans.

"I'm Axel. A-X-E-L. Axel Kaze. I'm Roxas' best friend. Got it memorized?"

"No you're not," the boyfriend told him. "I am."

"I thought you were his boyfriend?" Axel questioned.

"I can be both." Axel heard clearly a door slamming on the other end, and someone calling out a greeting.

"_Who's that?_" Axel knew instantly it was Roxas. Only one person could make his heart beat faster in two words.

_"Some asshat who says he knows you." _

_"I know lots of asshats. Which one?" _

_"Some guy name Axel…" _

"Axel?!" Roxas' voice was suddenly in his ear, and Axel grinned in triumph. "How'd you get my number?"

"Sora gave it to me," said Axel. "Is that the Riku guy I heard about?"

"No! Riku shares an apartment with Sora."

Axel whistled. "Two separate apartments Damn, you kids are rich. And I always _knew_ Sora'd turn out that way."

"It's not _that_ way," Roxas insisted. "Sora has a girlfriend now, for a month. He's head over heels for her; you should see them together. They're fantastic."

"Roxas, you're evading." The blond went silent on the other end. "Roxas, I still love you."

"Axel," Roxas pleaded. "You can't. You just _can't._ Because I'm already attached and in love and I swear to God if you stalk me…"

"Too bad," Axel sighed. "I'm going to have to resort to that. Just because you love him doesn't mean you can't love me. And I'm going to make you."

"That… is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Bye Axel."

--

Axel got nowhere with Roxas. First he tried calling everyday. Then he tried not calling, but he couldn't stand it. Then he asked Sora where Roxas lived so he could go see him.

None of this helped. Sora, while becoming a closer friend than ever, was under instructions not to tell Axel anything about Roxas, although he let it slip once that Roxas liked Leon's Coffeehouse, being close friends with the owner. Axel got a job there, and was pleased when Roxas walked into the coffeehouse and seated himself at a table.

Axel sauntered over with a notepad in hand. "Welcome to Leon's Coffeehouse," he greeted happily. "How may I serve you?"

Roxas, whose attention had been focused on a novel he was halfway through, froze. "Axel…"

"Hey Roxy!" a dirty blond boy plopped into the seat across from Roxas. "I missed you this morning," he said, leaning in and kissing Roxas on the nose; he was aiming for the lips, but Roxas didn't move any more forward. So this was Roxas' boyfriend? Hayner (Sora had let the name slip) was good looking enough, but Axel didn't like him. No surprise there.

He cleared his throat. "What can I get for you?" he voiced in monotone.

Hayner didn't think about it; "Two lattes, one mocha, one white chocolate and whipped cream." Axel jotted it down.

"So…" he said. "You're the boyfriend, huh? How long have you two been together?"

"A few months, actually… wait…" Hayner quickly glanced at the nametag and almost jumped. "You!"

"Yes," Axel grinned. "Me."

"Roxas, let's get out of here." Hayner stood to leave.

"No, please. Sit, stay. Don't leave your favorite haunt on account of me." Axel smiled pleasantly, even as Roxas, halfway out of his chair, froze again.

"Kaze, I've had enough of your crap," Hayner spat. "I could slap a restraining order on you, you know."

"Then why don't you, loverboy?" Axel taunted. Hayner's cheeks reddened in anger.

"You're Roxas' best friend, you say?" Hayner started, breathing deep to keep from blowing his top.

"I don't just say," Axel replied.

"Well, tell me then, what's Roxas' favorite color?"

"Red," Axel answered automatically.

"Wrong," Hayner told him with a smirk. "It's blue."

Axel looked at Roxas for confirmation. The blond nodded.

"Listen Axel," he told the taller boy. "You don't know _anything_ about me. So you can just drop this whole destined love thing. If we were destined for each other, why didn't you realize sooner? Before I was snatched away?"

"He's not even the same guy you were with when I first kissed you!" Axel exclaimed. "You've been together mere _months_, I've been pining for years!"

"I'm _with_ Hayner! Does that not mean anything to you? Do my feelings not mean anything to you?" Roxas was absolutely livid. "Damn it, Axel. If you had just dropped this ridiculous love thing the first time around, I wouldn't have to be doing this right now."

"I couldn't drop it the first time around; you kissed me back. You _cried_. And I know why; you wanted me too, didn't you? And you still do. That's why you're avoiding me now."

Axel was on the ground in an instant with an aching jaw. Hayner unclenched his fist. "That oughta teach you," he growled. "Come on, Roxas." He grabbed Roxas' hand and dragged him out of there.

("Kaze," Leonheart said later. "If you don't stop harassing my customers, I'm going to have to fire you."

"He's the one who punched _me_," Axel whined back.

"If you weren't stalking Roxas, he wouldn't have to punch you.")

--

Maybe, Axel thought once, there _wasn't_ such thing as a _one true love_. If Roxas could be with Riku or Hayner or whatever other boys he'd been with, there wasn't a _one true love_ for him. Logically, that would throw the whole _one true love_ theory out the window. He tried a few times, to let Roxas go. Sora's girl set him up with her roommate once, but Selphie was too curvy and too loud and too female. He found himself more attracted to the blond boy who escorted the same girl to a party the next weekend.

Tidus, being straight, was out of the question. So Axel found himself searching where gay men could be found, primarily gay friendly bars and clubs. Oh sure, he was attracted to some. He lost his virginity to a blond man he recognized as a patron of Leon's Coffeehouse. The blond was too quiet and level and somber. When Axel thought about it, he remembered Leon referring to the blond customer reading psychology texts in the corner as "Strife." It was a fitting name. But that man hadn't tugged at Axel's heartstrings or made him feel like more than a replacement. But that was okay, because Axel had ended up imagining him to be younger and sassier with hair spiked in a different mess any way.

Then there was the kid from his English class, silver haired and proud. There wasn't an immediate attraction, but he liked the boy's spirit. And there was this nagging feeling Axel got whenever he saw that silver hair and that haughty expression on his face. He chalked it up to attraction, until the morning after they hooked up. His name was Riku, and there was a picture of him and the Hikari twins sitting on his desk. It must have been from senior year, what with their caps and gowns and tassels on. Riku's arms were thrown around each twin's shoulder, and Axel didn't like how Roxas' expression looked strained, but his body leaned into Riku's touch so willingly. Riku, in turn, had his eyes shifting slightly towards Sora, pulling the other twin the slightest bit closer. Sora was laughing, oblivious to the world.

Something boiled in Axel's stomach, giving him the urge to throw up and laugh all at once. How ironic.

Axel left before Riku woke up, afraid he'd do something drastic to the bastard who had plucked _his_ Roxas' heartstrings.

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	5. Color the coast with your smile

_Let's just say... This chapter was kind of hard to write, and kind of came from nowhere. My fault, since I've been planning Demyx's reappearance since chapter 3 and kept forgetting to foreshadow him. Oops, I spoiled a plot point for the chapter. It's kind of cliche and rough, so I don't blame you if you don't like, but just... review me anyway._

_Also, for me, the closer it is to the end, the harder it becomes to write. I had a hard time getting my intentions across in every single section of this chapter. It shows. There are left overs. And let's just say I've adopted habits of ending stories like say... _The Writer_, seeing as reading all her KH fic has influenced this story... a lot. All lyrics were written off the top of my head. I think there's one chapter left, maybe two. I'll see you then!_

* * *

**Carry this Picture for Luck**

_Chapter the fifth_

* * *

Roxas was able to sneak into the dorms after a pair of half-drunk and flirting students, following Axel's instructions to room 306. It was Saturday, in the dead of night; there was almost no one around. He knocked on the door softly and Axel admitted him almost immediately. Axel's expression lit up, but Roxas ignored him, pushing past into the cramped double room. "How's Riku?" he wanted to know. 

"Shh," Axel hushed, closing the door quietly. "He's sleeping." The only light came from the street lamps outside the window, illuminating the small space and Riku, curled in black and red bed sheets, exhausted and puffy eyed, like he cried himself to sleep. The other side of the room boasted a poster of a blond with long hair and a one-of-a-kind instrument.

"You like Melodious Nocturne too, right? Sora told me," Axel said. "Zexion's a huge fan. He's camping out for Melodious Nocturne's show tomorrow. Sora and I are interviewing him for the campus newsletter. Are you going?"

"I've got tickets," Roxas told him. Demyx's solo career had skyrocketed since high school, and even though their on and off relationship hadn't worked out, Roxas and Demyx were still close friends. He'd supplied the Hikari twins with premium seating tickets for them and their significant others for his stop in Hallow Bastion. "Can you tell me what happened with Riku?" Roxas' attention shifted to the light haired boy again. Roxas sat gingerly on the edge of Zexion's bed.

"I thought you could tell me," Axel said, settling next to him.

Roxas shook his head. "I don't know what's going on. I mean, I talked to Sora this morning, after he found me in Riku's room. He seemed shaken, but not like he'd kick Riku out for something like this."

Riku stirred. Roxas was up in a heartbeat, moving to sit with Riku before the other could fully sit up. "Are you okay?" Roxas asked. "Riku, I am _so_ sorry…" He placed his hands over Riku's. Riku stared blankly at it.

"No, it's my fault." Riku shifted his eyes to meet Roxas'. "I shouldn't have made a move on you. I mean, I'm such a jerk. I've been a jerk this whole time, for _years_…"

Roxas cut him off. "Riku, what did Sora tell you?"

"You're in love with me, aren't you? Or you were, for a really long time, and even when you were with Demyx… I don't know _why_, I didn't see it…" Riku's eyes were tearing now, and he looked away. "And I was such a jerk about it. I couldn't see… I _wanted_ you, I did. But not so badly that I tried to piece it back together, and I hung around with _Sora_, because I wanted to see you, and somewhere along the lines it changed, but _you_ knew about me before I did, didn't you?"

"Riku, I don't understand what you're trying to say…" Roxas breathed desperately.

Riku laughed bitterly. "Sora yelled at me, telling me that I'm the worst ever. That I've been playing with your heart for _years_, to get to him. He was so angry, he was _crying_, Roxas, and I didn't know what to do. And he is so right it hurts. Right here…" Riku clenched a fist to his chest.

There was quiet in the dorm room. "I don't get it," Roxas finally said. "If you did play with me to get to him, how does that make sense? You didn't even _know _Sora until we got together. And after we broke up, nothing was ever the same. I got over you, didn't I? And when we kissed, I didn't feel a thing… So why is Sora so indignant? Unless…"

"Unless _Sora_ feels something for Riku?" Axel continued. "He _was_ obsessed with Riku in senior year."

Riku perked up at this. "Really?"

"Doesn't mean a thing," Roxas snapped. He stood up and paced the floor space. "Sora would have _told_ me."

"Not if he thought you were in love with me too," Riku pointed out, his hopes rising.

"There's no proof!" Roxas was raising his voice now, pacing and pulling at his hair. "He would _tell _me."

"So, let me get this straight, pun intended." Axel scratched his head and looked back and forth between Riku and Roxas. "Riku loves Sora, Sora might like Riku. But Riku never told Sora because he thought Sora would hate him, and Sora might not have told Riku because he didn't want to hurt Roxas? That is _rich_," Axel laughed.

"Then throw _you_ in the mix," Roxas muttered, rubbing at his temple. His head was aching. "Stop laughing! This isn't _laughable." _

But as Axel continued to laugh and Roxas began throwing things at him until the student in the next room began pounding on the wall, Riku found himself even smiling a little. There was hope on the horizon.

--

"I'm so sorry Riku. I didn't mean what I said. I don't hate you, I'm not mad. Just please, come home." Sora hung up with a growl, slumping into the chair across the table from Kairi.

"You haven't reached him yet?" Kairi asked softly. Sora shook his head.

"I tried calling Roxas too, but he didn't pick up his cell and Hayner doesn't know where he is." Sora let his head drop to the table, reaching out his hands and taking Kairi's for comfort. "You think they're…?"

Kairi shook her head quickly. She asked, "Sora, what did you even _say_ to Riku?"

"I… You know, Roxas was in love with Riku? For _years_, even. Roxas isn't so good at hiding his feelings. Even when he was with Demyx, he looked at Riku in this sort of heartbroken way. And when Roxas told me about Riku this morning, everything _clicked._ So when Riku came out of that room, I dunno. I just _snapped_." Sora stared down at the table, looking up at Kairi when she squeezed his hands.

"But _why_, Sora?" she asked him.

"I don't know! I just panicked, I guess." Sora was finding it hard to put into words his reasons. "Riku's hurt Roxas so much…"

"But that's not it, is it." Kairi's question came as a statement.

Sora swallowed, but found that her eyes were _demanding_ that he tell the truth. "I felt so… _used_ at that moment. I felt like it was _me_ who hurt my brother."

"Because you love him back."

Sora acted as if he had just been electrocuted, jumping to his feet in shock. "No!" he exclaimed. "No Kairi!" He fell to his knees and grabbed her hand, bringing the ring he'd given her to his lips. "Kairi, I love _you_. I love you, and I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you."

Kairi sighed, wrangling her hand free of Sora's. "I'm sorry Sora. You're a wonderful guy, really. It's no wonder a Riku would fall for you." She loosened the ring from her finger and set it on the table, before reaching around her neck for the clasp of her gold locket. "I wish you the best of luck." She set that on the table too, before walking out.

"Kairi!" Sora called after her, clutching at her wrist. "Kairi, I love you."

She smiled sadly. "I know. But Riku's more important, isn't he?" She gently pulled away from Sora and walked away, leaving Sora in tears.

--

Roxas came home and shut the door gently behind him. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it in the closet. Just as he tiptoed through the main room on the way to the bedroom, the lights came on. "Hay-Hayner," Roxas stammered. "I was just out, on a walk, see…"

"It's Riku isn't it?" Hayner cut in, leaning forward on the edge of the armchair he was seated in. It was barely dawn, but Hayner was already dressed. A packed suitcase sat by his feet. "You were always going to choose him."

"No, it's _not_ Riku," Roxas snapped. "If I was going to choose Riku over you, I would never have left him in the first place."

"Axel then," Hayner amended. "Leonheart. Anyone else."

"Axel?" Roxas voiced incredulously. " _Leon_"

"Yeah," Hayner affirmed, " Leon. I found out why you like his coffee place so much."

"Oh come on!" Roxas exclaimed exasperatedly. " Leon was my boyfriend in high school. Six freaking years ago. Can't I be friends with an ex? Can't I?"

"How about Melodious Nocturne?" Hayner waved a paper around. It was a set of lyrics, a love song. How could Hayner know that Roxas helped Demyx write his songs? That half of this song was a regurgitation of things Roxas once told Demyx about him, Hayner?

"It's about you, Hayner," Roxas blurted. "That song's about you."

"What," Hayner sneered, "Melodious Nocturne 'Waits until the night to ask what it is you have'?" He picked another line to read in that same, horrible tone: "_Do you love me, like I love you/ Do you love at all?" _

Roxas tried to snatch the lyrics from Hayner, succeeding in only tearing off a corner. "It's about you! Demyx took the words right out of a letter I wrote him a _year _ago, and the way you're acting now, I'm not surprised why I wrote it at all!"

"How else should I act when I know you still fraternize with all those men you've slept with!" Hayner exclaimed.

"For one," Roxas gritted out, "I didn't sleep with any of them in high school." He completely ignored the fact that he'd lost his virginity to Demyx the night after graduation and had a drunken affair with Riku the night before. Leon was the odd one out, as it had been illegal for them to have sex when Roxas was fourteen and Leon was twenty, and Leon was now miserably in love with one of his patrons. "Secondly, Demyx still happens to be my best friend, and Riku still happens to be my twin brother's best friend. Do you even _think_ for a second I'd screw up everything over a failed relationship?"

"Well, you're screwing this up." Hayner got to his feet and picked up his suitcase. "I'm going to be staying with Tidus for a while. I'll pay rent for this month, but you better find a place to live. Since Sora and Kairi are moving in together, why don't you stay with Riku?"

Roxas gave a frustrated yell at the closed door and threw his jacket at it. Hayner was the must frustrating man he'd ever been with. He was so jealous, felt so righteous in his jealousy. No wait… Both Riku and Demyx had been jealous, and ironically enough, of each other. But he'd broken up with Riku because, even if Riku hadn't started seeing it until a long time later, he was falling for Sora, fast and hard. And Demyx was rightfully jealous of Riku, as Roxas had still been burning the candle for him throughout their whole on-and-off relationship.

And really, Hayner's jealousy wasn't all too irrational. There was always something scary about when a relationship, your longest, strongest relationship, fails. The fear drives you to denial, and drives you to another man's arms.

Only in Roxas' case, he wasn't sure this _other man_ was Riku.

--

Sora was supposed to pick him up for the concert, but instead, Axel's truck sat outside the complex, honking. Roxas moodily stepped out the door, fingers grasping the tickets in his pocket. He didn't feel like going, but he'd made a promise to Demyx.

The ride was a little awkward. _Mystery Boy_, Melodious Nocturne's first indie album, blasted loudly from the speakers as Roxas sat between Sora and Axel at the wheel. It was made a million times worse because no one was singing along, and Roxas could hear clearly Demyx's lovesick voice from three years ago. Lovesick over _him_. How Roxas wished that any of the seven happy-go-lucky tracks were playing rather than the one hyper-sad song.

Axel tried to break the silence. He sang along to the title track.

_"Who's heart is next to break?  
I've got to keep my eyes on you.  
A dangerous dance on a dangerous day,  
What's that Mystery Boy gonna do? _

_You're here in my arms, but  
Your heart isn't mine.  
Your eyes are on him, but  
You're my Valentine. _

_Oh ohh… Mystery B-!" _

"Where's Kairi?" Roxas asked, turning to face Sora, away from Axel singing a song about him. "I thought she was coming. She loves Nocturne, doesn't she?"

"Where's Hayner?" Sora countered bitterly, not taking his eyes from the window. His empty ring finger sent a chill down Roxas' spine. "I just want to get this interview over with. I don't even care about the concert anymore."

"What are you going to do with the extra ticket? I've got one too, so…"

"You can pawn mine off too. I don't need to be in the front row."

"Front row?" Axel exclaimed, car screeching as he made an exaggerated stop at the traffic light. "For one, you've _got _to stay there! The pictures, Sora, the pictures! And you've got extras? You know who'd _die_ to get front row seats?"

"Didn't know you were that much of a fan," Roxas muttered, strapping himself in. The abrupt stop had caused him to jolt forward in his seat. Luckily, he caught his hands on the dashboard before his head crashed into the windshield. He pointed at the light, which had changed five seconds ago. "Green light says go."

"Zexion rubbed off on me. Hey, you've got front seats too, Roxy? Since you've got extra, do you think me and Zexion can move up with you guys?" Axel asked excitedly. "And since I'll have my ticket left over, maybe I'll call up Riku and ask him to come?"

"Riku _hates_ Melodious Nocturne," Sora cut in. "And it has nothing to do with the nasty lyrics about him in _Mystery Boy_ or _Photography._"

"About him?" Axel asked curiously. "Why would he write lyrics about Riku?"

Sora shut up, returning to gazing dolefully out the window. Axel called anyway.

--

"Hi, I'm Zexion. Thanks for the seats," greeted the slate haired man. He already had a tour t-shirt pulled over his other clothing. Roxas smiled and shook his hand.

"No problem," he said as Axel took up the seat between the two of them.

"Front and center! How did you get such good seats?" Axel exclaimed.

"Friends in high places," Roxas shrugged. Over there, Sora was busy taking pictures of the excited crowd, a great many of them HBU students. When the lights dimmed, Sora packed up his camera and shoved the bag under his seat.

The opening band's set lasted half an hour as people continued pouring in. It wasn't until the lights dimmed after the first intermission that fans really started screaming. Roxas was one of them, whooping loudly, getting infected by the energy of the crowd. Sora was even getting into it too, though his smile seemed more like a grimace and he continually disappeared and returned.

The lights lit up on a lone figure, with his modified guitar and a wide pose. Striking a chord, all Melodious Nocturne had to do was raise a hand in greeting, and the crowd went wild. Then in struck handsome Saix on the other guitar, then wild Xigbar on bass, and finally Luxord joined in with drums.

The first song was a wordless composition, setting up themes and motifs for the rest of the show. It sampled everything from pop rock to a riff of tango to classic rock and back to European influences, even touching on the main theme of Final Fantasy VII, which Roxas knew to be Demyx's favorite videogame and doubted that anyone else could make a connection. After almost ten minutes, the introduction came to a close. Melodious Nocturne waved at the crowd, causing an avalanche of cheers.

"I know, usually an emcee would come out and give a speech like this," he began. "But I'd like to thank you all for coming today. It really means a lot to me and my band." He made a gesture to the men onstage with him. "As you fans know, this is my first headlining tour, and just, wow. It's been amazing so far, and I'm so glad I was able to fudge Hollow Bastion onto the tour list. Do you want to know why?" A resounding _Yeah_ echoed from the corners of the hall.

Demyx smiled. "Sure? Okay. See, I started out as a nobody. Literally. My high school band was named the Nobodies. I made my best friends for life there, and when I decided to pursue my life as a solo artist, my best friends went on to go to college. Here, actually. At Hollow Bastion." There rose a murmur from the crowds looking left and right, wondering who among their peers was lucky enough to be Melodious Nocturne's best friend. "So I'd like to call up, my bestest friend in the whole_ wide world_, my muse, my unwitting poet… Roxy, get your ass up here!"

Roxas was already ducked out of his seat, trying to sneak away when the spotlight hit him. A tumult of applause, and Roxas waved shyly. "Demyx, I'm going to skin you!" he shouted over the roar. He looked over his shoulder to see Axel's dumbstruck face and Zexion's envious one. "Rox!" A security man helped Roxas up to the stage via side stairs, and walked up to the center stage with Demyx, who slung his arm over Roxas shoulder and pulled him close, rubbing his cheek on Roxas' like a kitten for a moment.

"I'm going to kill you," Roxas said murderously, his voice echoing through Demyx's microphone attached to his headset.

"All in due time, Roxas. All in due time," Demyx chuckled. "So I've brought him up here to sing a song with me!"

"You're kidding me! No, no, no I'm not!" Roxas struggled to get away, but his superstar best friend kept him by his side.

"Yes you are. You know this song, right?" And lyrics were thrust under his nose. "This is from Roxas, to the guy he loves!" Roxas was horrified when the crowd beyond the stage lights began chanting his name.

_"Rox-as! Rox-as! Rox-as!"_

He couldn't even hear Axel above the din, and automatically looked front row and center, where Axel was sitting. Where his boyfriend, Hayner, was supposed to be sitting. Demx was looking straight at him too, knowing he had given Roxas tickets for his significant other. And he thought Axel was-!

Without warning, Demyx stepped away and strummed on his guitar, leaving Roxas in the middle of the stage at the microphone stand, holding lyrics he helped write about a boyfriend who wasn't there, and Roxas really _couldn't_ sing this song to _Axel_, so he'd have to make it up as he went along, and damn it, there was his cue!

_"How can love be everything you want?  
When we love, do we love, or are we faking?  
Is this new? Is this old? Have I been waiting  
All this time, just for you ?  
_

_So I wait until it's dark to ask,  
What is this we have?  
Is this love like me and you?  
Or is this love at all? _

_Because I could die, just by knowing  
This kind of happy." _

_Crap_. Roxas had screwed up the whole song. It was short, it was sweet, it was supposed to be bitingly sarcastic at Hayner, and what had Demyx wanted to do? Tell the world he was unhappy with Hayner? But here he was, standing on stage, changing every single line while looking straight at Axel who had green eyes like Envy. And the song made even less sense than the fact that Hayner had left him just that morning, that Kairi and Sora had broken up a day after their engagement, and that he knew right then, that Axel loved him so much he was there and not storming off because Roxas had more than one ex-boyfriend, and that for some reason, people were clapping wildly for him. It did not, however, eclipse the fact that he loved Axel right then, more than even Sora, returning to his seat with Riku.

Demyx gripped his microphone in his hand so that it wouldn't pick up his words when he said in Roxas' ear, "I was hoping that you'd roast him and get out of that fucked up relationship thing."

"I'm not even with that guy yet!" Roxas replied, but he was so light and _in love_ that he couldn't wipe the smile off his face, and Demyx didn't say anything about it, and just ushered him off the stage.

"Now lady and gents, after that amusing interlude, let's get this concert _rocking!_" The crowd went wild as Demyx gave his Chesire grin.

"The next song: '_The Most Genuine Thing_.'"

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	6. The most genuine thing I've ever seen

_This chapter only took about two hours to write. So what took me so long? That's right, I was waiting for that second review._

_I honestly could care less about the alerts. I would rather you review and not favorite/alert than favorite/alert and not review. I'm not asking for a lot of reviews, I just want to have my numbers of alerts match my numbers of reviews-per-chapter, and right now it's nowhere close._

_Anyway, thanks to the lovely people who reviewed, who favorited, and who alerted. I do love you. I just couldn't end it here, so there's one more chapter. Ah, the closest to finishing a project I've ever come. Read, enjoy, review.__  
_

* * *

**Carry this Picture for Luck**

_Chapter the sixth  
_

* * *

Sora couldn't sit still. He wandered around, camera in hand, and when he couldn't find any photos to take, he returned to his seat, only to get antsy and leave again. 

Sora liked people. He loved them; he was a people person to the core. But he couldn't stand the jostling crowd of Demyx's fans. He couldn't stand the loudness, the exuberance, the whole... -ness of it.His life was falling apart in front of him. Kairi... Kairi was _gone_. Because of Riku. What stung most was that... she was probably _right_.

And Sora's only saying probably. It's not like he had thought of Riku in any other way than friends, really. But when he'd found out that Riku and Roxas had been... an _item_ without him even knowing it, that Riku had broken Roxas' _heart_, he felt betrayed like he never had before. Roxas was the most important person in the world to him, and Riku had done _that_? Riku, his best friend? A guy he trusted with his life? For him. Riku was in love with _him. _Sora hated himself for liking that Riku felt for him. And so, doing the only thing he could think of, Sora had kicked Riku out of the apartment.

Now that he had the time to himself to think and wallow, he thought of how right Kairi was. On his list of important people, Riku ranked a close second to Roxas, not including his parents. Kairi was after him on the list; he knew that if Riku hadn't liked Kairi, he would have dumped her a long time ago. And Riku...

Sora sighed and pushed out the door, hoping fresh air would do him some good. Riku was his favorite model, still. There was something about Riku that made his pictures just _shine_. Maybe it was just a model like quality, but his pictures were always the best. Sora could see the pictures in his mind now, Riku's arrogant features, Riku's smile, Riku always there when Sora needed to take pictures, so Sora would rarely need other models. Riku's quietness whenever Sora got a new girlfriend. Riku waiting up while he was out developing photos so that they could spend some time together, watching television and talking about their days.

And Sora loved him. Not in love, mind. He just loved him, like a friend. More like a brother. But in a different way than how he felt for Roxas.

"Sora?"

Sora whipped around. Riku stood there with his hand in his jacket pockets and his eyes rimmed with red, like he'd been crying recently.

"Sora, I'm really sorry, for everything." Riku jumped straight into apology mode, taking a step closer for every step Sora took away. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt Roxas. He's in love and happy and not with me, so doesn't that count?"

"He broke up with Hayner!" Sora yelled, backing into the wall, beside a poster for Melodious Nocturne's concert. "The _night_ after you slept with him! Tell me he's happy now!"

Riku paused, if only for a moment. "I saw him this morning. Last night. Whatever you would call it. You should have _seen_ him and Axel. Even when Roxas tried his best to not let Axel affect him, I could tell. I could always tell about Roxas. He's my best friend too. So don't tell me this is about Roxas. This is about you and me, Sora. And let me say right now, I didn't sleep with Roxas to hurt you. I would never hurt you."And then he kissed Sora, pushed him back against the wall with all he had. "I just want to know if you feel the same."

And Sora, poor Sora whose world had been turned upside down since the night he announced his engagement to the girl of his dreams, found that he wasn't ever really dreaming of a girl. "So Riku," Sora said, pulling Axel's extra ticket from his pocket. "Do you want to go inside?"

--

Zexion was psyched to find out that Sora and Roxas' premium passes allowed them backstage. "Sora," Axel said, draping an arm around the younger man's shoulder. "When you said you could get us an interview with Melodious Nocturne, I didn't know _this _is what you meant." Sora was invited to take photos during the photo shoot immediately after the show, and for an hour the other four lingered in the corner of the room the shoot was in.

Zexion was so excited he almost wet himself, though he tried not to show it, and Riku was floating on Cloud Nine as well, his eyes wistfully trailing after Sora, who was getting pointers from the photographer Demyx had hired to take pictures for a road show scrapbook.

"So…" Axel drew out. "You and Demyx Shirabe, eh?"

Rxas shrugged. Ever since his revelation on stage, he was feeling even more nervous about Axel. "Yeah, I guess."

"Zex is excited."

"I can tell," Roxas replied looking anywhere but Axel.

"I mean, his roommate's boyfriend is best friends with his idol."

Roxas looked. "Boyfriend?"

Axel looked directly at Roxas, his nervousness shining in his eyes. "Well, that's me asking. I mean, you did sing that song looking at me. And you're not with Hayner, are you? And I know it's because of me."

Roxas gazed steadily into his eyes. It seemed like forever until he said, "Okay."

There was a pause until suddenly a voice rang out, "Roxy dear! I _thought_ I smelt you!" Then he was _there,_ Melodious Nocturne. Demyx Shirabe, in _person_, bounding over in delight as the photo shoot broke up, Demyx's band heading off to their dressing rooms.

"Hey Dem," Roxas greeted as the rock star threw his arms around his neck. "I'm still serious about killing you, you know."

"Aw, but I hope you introduce me to your friends first," Demyx said, eying Zexion with a wink. The gray-haired man colored slightly in the cheeks. Riku rolled his eyes and Axel glared.

Roxas shrugged Demyx off and grudgingly extended a hand to indicate Axel. "This is Axel."

"Ah!" said Demyx, grinning widely and nudging Roxas' side. "What happened to Hayner? You sly dog, you."

Roxas completely ignored him, going on to introduce Zexion, "Axel's roommate Zexion, big fan of yours, and you know Riku."

"Heey, Reeks," Demyx grinned. Riku flipped him off. "Aw, come on. Peace? Please?"

"It's just too much fun hating you," Riku replied with a smirk.

Demyx shrugged and looked Zexion up and down. "I hope you're the one interviewing me. I wouldn't mind some one on one time with you."

"Actually, I'm going to be the one," Axel jumped in, stepping out slightly in front of Zexion. He was just as protective of his roommate as Riku was of his.

"Oh really then? Okay, well, let's just step into my room, okay? Don't want these guys hearing all my secrets." Demyx grinned.

"I know all your secrets," Roxas protested.

"Yeah, but what about Reeks? We won't be long, promise. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend." Roxas sputtered a little, red in the cheeks. Demyx and Axel closed the door behind them.

--

"I'm jealous, just so you know."

Demyx raised an eyebrow, making himself comfortable in a chair with Axel sitting across from him. "Aren't you the one dating him?" Demyx asked teasingly.

Axel clucked his tongue. "I knew Roxas before you did. All our lives. Best friends forever. But he leaves, moves away, doesn't write a single letter. When I see him again, he acts like he doesn't know who I am. But you…" Axel made a wide gesture with his hand, pen dangling from his fingers. "He writes to _you_."

"We're different kind of friends," Demyx shrugged. "You got the boy though."

"Yes," said Axel thoughtfully. "I did."

"I was going to break up Rox and Hayner," Demyx admitted. "I was carrying something of a torch for him myself. I always imagined him my first and only love, and all this time I've been operating that way. But when I saw him today, nothing clicked. And when I saw you… There are really no words to describe how really perfect you are for him. I'm glad you're not Hayner. I'd have kicked your ass."

"Hayner's a jerk," Axel said. "I couldn't get Roxas to break up with him for the longest time, and I was beginning to think it was futile. But then Hayner dumped him last night, probably because he snuck over to my place in the middle of the night."

"Getting the hanky panky on early, eh?" Demyx grinned. "Anyway, enough of the small talk. I was going to do the whole, burly, 'Roxas is my best friend, don't you dare _hurt_ him' speech, but I don't think you need it."

"Thanks," Axel said.

--

_Music of the Night _

_Interviewee: Demyx Shirabe, aka Melodious Nocturne _

_Interviewer: Axel Kaze _

_Photography: Sora Hikari _

_Demyx Shirabe's solo project began just after his senior year. As his friends went off to college, he moved out to _ _Los Angeles__ to begin a music career as Melodious Nocturne. After two indie albums, _Mystery Boy _and_ Photography_, he was picked up by the record label _13_, and since then has enjoyed wild popularity. His latest album, _Genuinely yours, DEM, _is at the top of the charts. I was able to sit down with him after Sunday night's concert at Hollow Bastion Concert Hall. _

**_Axel: How does it feel to be so insanely popular? Your concert was all sold out, the line went around the block. _**

_Demyx: It feels great! _

**_A: During the first few minutes of the concert, you surprised everyone. What were you thinking when you pulled Roxas Hikari up on stage? _**

_D: (laughs) I was thinking, "Roxas is my best friend and deserves recognition for his awesomeness." _

**_A: Was he the only reason you came to Hollow Bastion? _**

_D: The other reason was Sora. _

**_A: I see. So you share a very strong connection with them. _**

_D: Well, yeah. I've been friends with them since the seventh grade. We've been through thick and thin together, and so of course I kept in touch when they came here. _

**_A: A lot of fans of yours could be off killing Roxas right now. _**

_D: What, because he's friends with someone famous? They better not, or I'll never come back here again. _

**_A: So, what are your plans for the future? _**

_D: I'm not the kind of person who really plans, you know. I like fudging things up, screwing around the order once in a while. Maybe I'll disappear for a few months, take a vacation. That'll be nice. And then I'll be back with an all new me to show. Who really knows? _

**_A: What do the names of your albums mean? _**

_D: Nosy, are we? Well, if you know the Hikari brothers, you know where my inspiration comes from. _MysteryBoy_ refers to someone we all knew in high school,_ Photography_ refers to Sora's hobby of course, _Moving Twilight_ is actually named after our high school, and _Genuinely Yours_ is how I like to sign my letters. DEM, of course, refers to my name. _

**_A: Are the albums thematic? _**

_D: Not the first two. I just put whatever songs I had on them. But when I got signed, _Moving Twilight_ was almost all about high school, and the songs of _Genuinely Yours, DEM_ are all things me and my little inspirations discuss. _

**_A: Any ideas for future albums? _**

_D: Not as of the moment. I'm having fun in the now. I'm here, I'm singing, I'm having the time of my life. What comes will come, and surprise is part of the fun. + _

* * *

chapter end

* * *


	7. I was so lost, but now, I believe

_Oh my god, I had no right whatshowever to throw that tantrum I threw last author's note. I just... Oh my god. I bragged about being able to write this? Ha! It too me two months to come up with something that wasn't a wimpy little scene. And I rather like this epilogue-y chapter. I tried to show everyone in a good light. Did it work? On a completely positive note, out of the fourteen multi-chapter fictions I have ever started here on FFN (and who knows how many I've posted off of FFN)_, _this is my first completed story. Yay me!_

_ Watch out for the Demyx spinoff I'm writing. I promise it will be awesome if you like Demyx/(insert organization number here.) Coming to a fanfiction website near you._

_ I LOVE REVIEWERS. So I'm pimping_Bubblegum Head, chicago x pillowz, m3di4h, Mikomi-Kiyoko, Iokkish, and Daitai Otonashii Ookami._Basically every one who has ever reviewed this. Special bones to _chicago and Bubblegum and Mikomi,_ for having reviwed more than once. :3 I hope you all waited for this. I hope you think the wait is worth it. If not... go ahead and flame me to a crisp. Loves!_

* * *

**Carry this Picture for Luck**

_Chapter the end_

* * *

Roxas stepped back and let Hayner shut the car trunk. He shoved his hands in his pocket and stood for a moment, looking just past Hayner's ear. "So…" 

"That's it," Hayner said. He rubbed the back of his head and looked skyward. "Everything is packed. Nocturne's moving in, right?"

"Yeah," Roxas said. "He's bringing in his stuff later today."

There followed an uncomfortable silence.

"Listen, Roxas-" "Hayner, I-"

They both stopped and finally looked each other in the eye. Roxas gave a sheepish smile.

"Thanks." This was so awkward.

Without warning, but without shock, Hayner pulled the shorter man into a tight embrace. "No need, Roxas. No need."

--

**_So You Think You Know… _**

_The Hikari Twins? _

_Column by Axel Kaze _

_The Hikari twins are fairly popular on campus. Sora is the friendly photographer in the junior class, and Roxas is the nice, if a little quiet, guy who used to date Squall Leonheart way back when, and was recently revealed to be the close friend of Demyx Shirabe, the artist usually known as Melodious Nocturne. How was HBU blessed with such little guys? _

_Roxas: Don't call us little. _

_Sora: Yeah! _

**_Axel: Can't hurt to have a little fun, can it? _**

_S: You're supposed to act professionally as an interviewer! _

**_A: I can't help the fact that I've known you for like ever. _**

_S: Professionalism! _

**_A: Alright, fine. Then have some professional questions. Like, Roxas. Do you where boxers or briefs? _**

_R: This better not be in the interview, perv. If you must know, It's- _

_-continued on page six- _

--

"I can believe that got printed," Roxas hissed, cheeks flushing after he threw out the campus newspaper. "That column has got to be the worst column in the paper, and everyone's quoting it at me!"

"Could be worse," Demyx shrugged. "At least you didn't say something really good and have people come up to you and tell you what a great inspiration you are."

"You're famous, Dem. Get used to it. Axel, I hate your column."

It was a week later and Roxas had _finally_ given Demyx the grand tour of Hollow Bastion University. It was hard as Demyx and Roxas were mobbed by fans every time they left the apartment; it was only after the excitement about Demyx moving in died down that they could get out, though Leon the fact that denied patronage of any Demyx-stalkers might have helped. The tour ended at Leon's Coffeehouse, where Axel served them free coffee and took his break to sit and talk with them, ignoring the sudden influx of customers at the moment.

People ogled Demyx. The rock star wore his hair in a loose ponytail, Gucci sunglasses, and designer jeans with an HBU sweatshirt. "I've decided," he told Axel, "To stay a while. Roxas has an extra room, so I thought I'd just move my stuff in. Maybe I'll take some classes."

"You think you'll get accepted?" Roxas teased, his chair next to Axel's so they brushed arms and knees. Hayner caught his eye outside the window, standing at the corner and waiting for traffic to stop. He sported a black eye and looked pleased with himself; probably another fight with Seifer. Nothing Roxas had to bother about.

"Hey, it's me!" Demyx grinned, spreading his arms out. "You think I won't?" Roxas turned his eyes back to him and grinned.

This, Roxas felt, was as close to perfection as things came.

Riku and Sora came in and pulled up chairs to their little table. They didn't touch the way he and Axel did, but Roxas could see something in their glances and smiles and that was enough.

"Can I take your order?" Their smiles faltered for a moment, softened when they looked at Kairi, notepad and pen in hand, apron tied around her waist. She smiled too, if sadly. "Just the usual frappuccinos?"

"Yeah," Sora said softly. Riku's expression hardened. "The usual."

"You know," Demyx said as Kairi bustled away. "You don't _have_ to choose."

"Free love doesn't work out in the real world," Sora muttered. "You have to choose the person you love more." Riku grabbed his hand and squeezed.

--

Roxas had missed Demyx sitting on the couch with his guitar, strumming absently whatever came to mind. He had missed that lovely singing tenor Demyx possessed that drove the groupies insane. And while Demyx looked amazing in only a pair of low slung jeans, Roxas could not even think of why he ever went out with this boy. He knew Roxas better than he knew himself in that weird psychic twin way. Even better than Sora, if only marginally.

_"Letters to you from the postbox,  
Send all the love you can give.  
Why is it nothing goes the way that you want?  
Guess that's just the way that life lives." _

"New song?" Roxas asked, putting down his textbooks.

"Your song," Demyx told him, putting out a cigarette in the ashtray. "_Mystery Boy Part Two."_

Roxas rolled his eyes and read from the lyrics.

_"You give up forever for love that just lasts  
That ephemeral second in space.  
Love just like this comes only this once,  
So give it the all you can take.  
So give all the love you can make. _

_And in the end, leave it with grace." _

Demyx had the decency to duck his head and blush as he played the lasts chords, his long hair falling to the side of his face. But he brought his face up quickly and asked, "How is it?"

"Amazing," Roxas told his friend with a wide grin.

They sat grinning at each other like fools. "I love you," Demyx voiced eventually, and it was the truth, and Roxas wasn't uncomfortable, because he took it for the platonic, 'I could never have done this without you' feeling that it was.

"I love you too," Roxas echoed, and he meant it.

--

Kairi wasn't bitter. She was the girl of Sora's dreams; she couldn't be. She could never be bitter at Riku. It's a fair turn, she thought. Sora took her to the burger joint on her lunch break and they worked out the details over a meal. Sora wished she hadn't hidden Riku's feelings from him. He wished he didn't have to break her heart. He wanted to stay friends.

"I'm fine," she assured him, even when she wasn't. But Kairi was strong. She would live through this, and she would be fine. She could love Sora as the amazing person she had come to know. She would love Riku for the amazing person he was. Kairi was very loving.

And as Sora gave a relieved smile, so wide his face might crack, the world lit up and Kairi felt a million pounds lighter.

--

Axel and Demyx became fast friends. Apparently Reno worked for the recording studio Demyx used, which made the blond that much more open to him.

Although another major factor was Demyx's undying crush on Axel's roommate. Beside the concert, Roxas had yet to see Zexion show signs of personality, but Demyx continued tenaciously to pester Axel about the slate haired man.

"You better not be using my roommate," Axel growled. "He's one of my closest friends, and if you hurt him…"

"Hey! I didn't give you that kind of speech when I found out about you and Roxas!" Demyx exclaimed. "Tell him Roxas."

The surly blond folded his arms and said in monotone, "He didn't threaten you when you claimed to be my boyfriend."

"Demyx still a rock star. You know what those guys do," Axel said, and shrugged his shoulder to let the rock star into his dorm room.

"Hi!" Demyx greeted brightly, and the student at his desk turned his head and instantly turned red in the face. "I was wondering if you wanted to take a break and we could go get coffee?"

Roxas slammed the door behind him and a loud clamor of voices arose from the hallway. Someone shrieked that Melodious Nocturne should father his baby.

"Or maybe," Axel suggested, reaching for the miniature fridge under his desk and reaching for beer. "We can just take a break here."

--

Roxas and Riku sat on the couch watching TV and waiting for Sora and Axel to get back from the darkroom, where Axel wanted to make sure that Sora did every shot perfectly.

"I'm sorry, you know, if I ever hurt you," Riku said suddenly Mickey continued talking on screen. "I really did love you."

"I know," Roxas sighed as he reached for the popcorn. "But in that little high school puppy love kind of way."

Riku nodded. His eyes didn't leave the screen. "You were in love with me though."

"For years," Roxas agreed. "And whatever Axel thinks about you, I'm more of a bitch than you ever were. I hurt you, I hurt Demyx, I hurt Axel, I hurt Hayner. I'm ashamed Demyx knew that I never loved him... not like that. Not the way he loved me. Have you heard the things he wrote?"

"Bad mouthed me in every piece," Riku grinned.

"Want to hear his latest song?"

Riku shifted so he was facing Roxas and shrugged. "Sure."

Roxas opened his mouth and he sang.

--

That fall, Demyx Shirabe attended Hallow Bastion University.

In September, the single titled _Mysterious Boy Part II, Falling With Style_ premiered quietly and exclusively at Leon's Coffeehouse.

When Melodious Nocturne produced his fifth album, titled _Us_, he was not alone. There was a lighter, sweeter voice singing next to his, and this singer was credited only as Mystery Boy.

And Roxas Hikari became famous.

* * *

story end

* * *


End file.
